Bathtime for the Citadel Giant
Taking Time
I left the giant in the bath for a week, then gave all the bits a good scrub. This didn't quite remove all the paint, but it did loosen most of the glue joints, so I was able to dismantle the giant further.
Then it was back into the Dettol again for another week. For a big job like this, it pays to be patient.
Even this didn't get everything cleaned, so he got one final Dettol bath.
The giant disassembled
Here's the giant, still with some traces of white primer. The gloopy texture made me wonder if it might even be white emulsion paint as this was quite commonly used at one time, especially before dedicated model primers were readily available. I've been guilty of this myself, but it's really not recommended. At all. Seriously, just don't do it, you're better off using standard acrylic paint if you can't find any primer.
One thing that's puzzling me is the glue. That brownish rubbery substance is what's left. It's still stubbornly stuck around the joints, but all the components have now separated pretty much on their own.
I'm not aware that two part epoxy glues behave like this, could it be some sort of contact adhesive?
Regardless, it peels off pretty easily.
Once out of the Dettol, there's still a bit of cleaning required. Orlyyg, in his excellent blog article, warns against just washing off the paint/Dettol gunge as it just congeals. He suggests neat washing up liquid before using water.
My current method is to wipe everything as clean as possible with paper towels, then give everything another bath, this time in Isopropanol. I've had this recommended as a paint stripper as well, but have had no success (see my final post on my experiments).
Once thoroughly cleaned in Iso, it can be washed if required.
The giant is now stripped and cleaned, but there's still that broken ankle to fix. That's the task next time.
Completely back to basics now, the glue looked like Evostick which is indeed a contact adhesive (and very smelly when using), what glue are you planning to use to put it back together with ?
ReplyDeleteAll I'm doing is fixing the ankle, which I shall pin and glue using Araldite or similar.
DeleteI'm doing this on behalf of the new owner, the actual assembly is up to him.
Given that he'll probably read this, I'd recommend two part epoxy with green stuff to fill in any gaps (the fit is very good, but not perfect).
Have you any suggestions for him?
Due to the weight of this model, I would strongly recommend pinning all the parts together, and adding cross hatching on any surface that joins another, as this gives the glue something to bind too, with this model being in lead a scalpel blade will easily add the cross hatching.
DeleteI missed your first post mentioning this monster. What an awesome sight to behold. That green cloud of jealousy drifting over the North Sea towards you stems from my address ;). I have seen the rubbery glue gunk you mention above while stripping models assembled in the late eighties/early nineties. I suspect its either slow drying two-component epoxy (I still have some fond nightmares of it) or hot glue (this, and nail polish, pop-up with depressing frequency on older models). It could also be a reaction of PVA (most likely used for basing) and Dettol. It takes a bit of poking with a cocktail stick to remove, if I recall correctly. For the repair (and later assembly) After pinning I would start with Zap-a-Gap Medium (with the green label). It's a superglue that sticks well, but also has a bit of body. It'll hold the parts quickly as you (or your client) assemble the giant. I would follow up with some modern (quick drying) two-part epoxy to fill bigger gaps with something that'll actually help them stick together. On a model this old I might keep some two-part epoxy on standby to add it while applying the superglue. There's usually some interesting (grand canyon-sized) cracks to surmount, and no amount of superglue will help you there. Also remember water activates (and thickens) superglue. It might help in tighter spots. Last (but not least), keep some baking soda handy. It activates superglue even faster than water, and thickens it so it fills cracks. Just be cautious, because it leaves a horrible grainy texture on the outside (don't apply it in spots you will see on a painted model).
ReplyDeleteHope this helps, good luck with the repairs (and never mind the green clouds of jealousy, I'll try to keep the worst at bay ;).
Thanks for that, very useful. I'll be looking for that zap-a-gap stuff.
DeleteI'll make sure the eventual owner reads all the advice, I know he's looking forward to finally owning this amazing model.
For my part, it's fun to be involved with it, and it's a joy to closely examine what has become my favourite mini.
Now excuse me, there seems to be some sort of bizarre weather outside, a green cloud moving in from the east.